Clearing The Air & The Energy (literally)
How to reboot and reclaim the day even when S#*T hits the fan
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We all have them…those days where we are not in the flow and simply feel as if we’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed…or life just slams us. Those are the ones in which we need to dig deep and call upon every reinforcement we can muster so we can course correct — otherwise, you know you are headed nowhere good. We’ve all been there, done that.This is where we take our practice from the mat to the world. It’s not enough to keep reading the self-help books, listening to the podcasts, attending the workshops, drinking the green juices, etc.. If we aren’t doing something with them, if we aren’t implementing that wisdom into our lives, then we are missing the opportunity to cultivate valuable life tools. And isn’t that the point? This is why we are doing all of this in the first place, right?! We want to feel better. We want to show up better.How do we measure success? In this ‘modern’ world, the first things that come to mind are usually related to bank accounts and job status. We can’t help it. It’s the way we’ve been programmed.
True success is doing life better today than yesterday.
The other day I had a not-so-stellar start to the morning — and that’s life. It can be full of curveballs that way. BAM.Things get moving around here very early each day. I’m a morning person. I’ve got a resident teenager to get off to school, fed and clean. I also indulge in early morning solitude and ritual, which for me usually includes coffee and writing before the sun or anyone else in the house rises.On said morning, while I languished upstairs in my office, my aging 'ol dog did all (and I mean ALL) of her morning business in my bedroom, which resulted in ruining a small rug. Then I proceeded to spill my yummy, made-with-love-and-all-good-things green smoothie all over myself and my desk — creating an enormous mess, as you can imagine. Yep. That's how things went down. As I scurried around cleaning, vacuuming and doing laundry, I declared...I am not going down with this shit this morning. But I’ll admit, it already had me by one hand and was luring me in its seductive direction.Put yourself in my shoes. Can’t you see it? One thing happens and we succumb so easily to the domino effect…or not. That’s what I want for you. I want you to muster your ‘or nots’! For me, this was a major success. It was a small, yet subtle declaration to myself, the Universe and anyone listening, that I was going to reclaim my day, regardless. Best part…it worked. It was really that simple. Later on while on a walk, Bill, my life-partner, said the best thing he could have said to me. “I’m proud of you. You know, a few years ago you would have completely lost your S#&T with those morning events.” I laughed, but realized, yeah, I’ve come a long way, baby. And yes, I’ve still got a long way to go. I’m a work-in-progress, but I can also celebrate the triumphs.Yes, our best selves get bogged down along this human journey. But you are here, you care, you desire to show up, you’ve got the tools and you’re in the process of collecting more…don’t be afraid to bring them forth.
Don’t be afraid to celebrate the seemingly minor wins. They are all successes.
No, unicorns didn’t immediately start swirling around my kitchen as I made my declaration and lit some palo santo to clear the energy. That just happened to be my ‘reinforcement’ of choice in that moment. But I will tell you, I won. I didn’t relinquish the day. I reclaimed it.Do that.Practice the power to choose — to choose which direction you are heading off in, the power to change direction, the power to pause, the power to reclaim your power. In big ways and in small, the ultimate goal is to create an arsenal of support around yourself that helps you invoke the outcome you desire. And it feels damn good when you do — one for the home team!If a dark cloud shows up at your house — just don't let it in! Your best self will thank you. You’ve got this.As always, I LOVE hearing from you and hearing your stories. How do you cut this off at the pass? What’s your go-to strategy? Let us know in the comments below — because after all, we’re in this together.